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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 3 OcTOber 2019
Artist Kehinde Wiley on what we can do with offensive art

By MARK KENNEDY Press about his thoughts on
AP Entertainment Writer Confederate monuments,
NEW YORK (AP) — As the if he’s become more po-
nation debates what to do litical and where he goes
with Old South monuments, from here.
one artist has a solution. Ke- Q: There are many people
hinde Wiley wants more art. who think Confederate
Wiley, who was tapped to monuments like the ones
paint Barack Obama for in Virginia should be ripped
the National Portrait Gal- down. You're offering an-
lery, thinks monuments to other alternative _ more art.
Confederate figures need Should art answer art?
to be placed in their social A: I believe that when deal-
context, not torn down. ing with a troubled past
The artist was in Times and arguably a beautiful
Square last week to offer his future, artists should use
latest corrective, unveiling every tool in their wheel-
a massive bronze statue of house. What I try to do is I
a young African American say yes to certain aspects
man in urban streetwear of history. And I say no to
sitting astride a galloping others. What we're saying
horse. Called "Rumors of yes to here is monumen-
War," the eight-ton, 29-foot- tally, romanticism, the love
high work mimics a statue of sculpture, the love affair
in Richmond, Virginia, of a with the body. This is some- Visual artist Kehinde Wiley, best known for his portrayals of contemporary African-American and
African-Diasporic individuals, appears at the unveiling his first monumental public sculpture "Ru-
Confederate general and thing that I think is beautiful, mors of War," an equestrian portraiture of warfare and heroism, Friday Sept. 27, 2019, in New York.
will be moved there at the but I don't want to neces- Associated Press
end of the year. sarily use the negative as-
Wiley is known for his regal pects of America's history more political or socially you're looking at is us. In full used wallpaper and tap-
portraits of minorities, which as a means through which active with your work? measure. estries to show privilege.
reclaim a privilege long re- you view this work. I think A: It's so interesting. So many Q: You keep growing, go- In sculpture, you can’t.
served for white aristocrats. promise is the leading edge people have been won- ing from paintings of young How have you adjusted to
He has explained that his of this work. dering what Kehinde Wiley men to ones of women, three-dimensional works?
work is a remedy for the Q: Do you think the Confed- would be making after the from Americans to people A: What I do in my own work
historical invisibility of black erate monuments should Obama portrait. This is my in Indian and Brazil. Where here with regards to sculp-
men and women. be taken down? If you do, first shot out of the cannon do you want to go? ture is to allow the city to
One recent exhibition de- as an artist, does that put in America and it's no more A: There is no limit. There's be the backdrop, to allow
picts 15 African Americans you in a strange position? political than anything I've no limit to the creative pos- a moving and constantly
from Ferguson, Missouri, A: I’ve never personally ever done. What I deal with sibility of young people. changing America to be
and its neighboring com- asked for any art to be tak- is history. I deal with Europe There's no limit to the place the context in which we
munities, dressed in their en down. I actually believe and America and colonial- in which hip-hop has found see this young man riding a
own clothes but posed like that all art should be seen ism and empire and I try to itself in the bedrooms of massive horse in the middle
subjects in a classical paint- within its own social con- find new ways of digest- young dreamers who want of Times Square, soon to be
ing. It is the artist’s memo- text. ing that content, trying to to figure out how they can in the middle of Virginia.
rial to Mike Brown, a young There must be a museum find new ways of looking tell their stories. As long as I How does that hack the
man shot to death by po- for all of the terrible ideas at ourselves anew. It's not have breath in my life, I'm mind of the young viewer?
lice. that exist in the world. The about blackness. It's not going to dedicate myself How does that hack the
In the shadow of his mas- only thing that battles a about whiteness. It's about to tear up telling those sto- mind of the artist who's
sive Times Square addition, bad idea is a better idea. the co-evolution of societ- ries. thinking about what they
Wiley told The Associated Q: Are you getting any ies and culture and what Q: In your paintings, you want to do in their work?q

Garth Brooks to receive

Gershwin Prize for Popular Song

By KRISTIN M. HALL Brooks is a member of the off, for any musician, the
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country Music Hall of Fame. name Gershwin says it all.
Country music superstar His hits include “Friends in Add to Ira’s and George’s
Garth Brooks has more than Low Places,” “The Thunder names the names of the
just friends in low places. Rolls” and “The Dance.” past recipients and you
The Library of Congress said At 57, he’ll be the youngest have an award of the high-
Wednesday the Grammy recipient of the Gershwin est honor. I am truly hum-
winner will receive the Li- Prize. He will be honored bled.”
brary of Congress Gershwin with an all-star tribute con- Since his debut in 1989, This Nov. 8, 2017 file photo shows Garth Brooks at the 51st annual
Prize for Popular Song in cert in Washington, D.C., Brooks has become a top- CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn.
March 2020. that will air on PBS stations selling and touring musical
Previous recipients include in spring 2020. force, bringing his brand of He is the best-selling solo to the Recording Industry
Tony Bennett, Paul Simon, “An award is only as good high energy and emotional artist in the United States Association of America,
Carole King and Willie Nel- as the names on it,” Brooks country music to stadiums with more than 148 million and is second only in total
son. said in a statement. “First and arenas. in album sales, according U.S. sales to The Beatles.q